The Squad's Heart
by Kat Lee formerly Pirate Turner
Summary: Skipper is their leader, Kowalski their brains, Rico their never-ending supply of weaponry, but Private . . . Private is their heart.  Slash.


Title: "The Squad's Heart"  
>Author: Pirate Turner<br>Rating: G  
>Summary: Skipper is their leader, Kowalski their brains, Rico their never-ending supply of weaponry, but Private . . . Private is their heart.<br>Warnings: Slash  
>Word Count: 890<br>Date Written: 4 February, 2011  
>Disclaimer: Private, Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, all other characters mentioned within, and the Penguins of Madagascar are &amp; TM DreamWorks and any other rightful owners, none of whom are the author; are used without permission; and may not be used without permission. The author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended.<p>Sometimes Private felt invisible in his squad. He knew that the other penguins' gifts were all more valuable than his own cute looks, which was all he oft felt he had to contribute. Rico had the strength, ammunition, and berserker rage, Kowalski the brains, and Skipper . . . Well, Skipper was Skipper. On top of being the best leader in the whole world, - and yes, Private was quite understandably prejudiced -, Skipper brought them all together. He had saved them all from more horrible fates than an outsider could even begin to imagine, and he continued, every day and night, to keep them alive, surviving, and going in their top forms.<p>

He knew the others laughed at him when he fancified aloud about unicorns and a better world, and Private knew, too, that most of their opponents wondered just why they kept him around and what he contributed. He managed to keep most of his insecure feelings down quietly, however, and kept them close to his flippers for he knew that the others would never understand. They were all so wonderful, each with their own remarkable gift, that they could not begin to imagine how useless he felt around them.

And yet there had been a day when he had been a legend in his own right, and he'd thought he'd lived that down until today. Private shook his head, knowing that his old opponent was right above ground, waiting for any excuse to make him face him. Private's ears still burned from the laughter that had reigned when his gift had been revealed to be excelling at the sport of mini golf. He wasn't cut out for this, he thought, glancing around the lair where Kowalski was working on his latest invention and Rico was belching up bombs.

He shook his head again, tears quietly filling his dark eyes. He wasn't a spy, not really. He'd just happened to fall in with the world's best agents and been adopted into the most wonderful family, but he didn't belong here. His gifts could never match theirs. He should leave.

Private jumped when he felt a flipper gently touch his shoulder. "Stand down, Private," Skipper whispered with a rare gentility to his commanding voice. "You're not going anywhere."

His words were quiet, and yet they brought the instant attention of the other penguins. Rico squawked in surprise, then promptly swallowed the bomb he'd been about to lurch. Kowalski's experiment blew up in his face, but the owlish blink he gave was much more from the statement he'd just heard than from anything to do with his scientific work. "Private!" he cried. "You can't seriously be considering leaving?"

Rico squawked urgently, and both penguins waddled swiftly over to join Skipper and Private.

"I know what you're thinking, Private," Skipper continued. "Your past has caught up with you, just when you thought you were safe and would never have to hear about what you did again. You don't know how you'll ever fit in here with us again, but, Private," he said, gazing deep into his eyes with love and understanding that both shocked Private and warmed him throughout his every being, "you'll always belong here. You keep us all going."

"But . . . But, Skipper, I do no such thing!" Private exclaimed, clearly surprised. "You keep us going!"

"I lead us," Skipper acknowledged. "Kowalski and Rico give us the tools, the brains, and the strength to succeed, but you, young Private, you give us our heart. Without you, we're nothing but a pack of hard-core penguins looking for some butt to kick, but you add meaning and . . . and sentimentality to our lives. The world would be a lonely and dark place indeed for all of us if you weren't here. Why, it'd barely be worth fighting for!"

The look in Skipper's deep, penetrating eyes told Private the words he did not speak. They told him how much he loved him, and the tingling warmth again flushed Private. "Aw, Skipper!" he cried, threw his flippers around him, and hugged him tight. "Don't worry," he promised. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," Skipper approved, returning his hug rather awkwardly, "because you're to stay here with us forever permanently. That's an order. You understand that, young Private?"

"Yes," Private said, pulling back, looking somberly up into his demanding eyes, and saluting him. His tail wagged. "I understand that and the other thing, too, Skipper," he said, bringing a blush to Skipper's white cheeks, "and it'll be my honor to serve forever."

"What other thing? I've no idea what other thing you're talking about, soldier!" Skipper blustered.

"Of course you don't," Private assured him and, smiling hugely, hugged him again.

Kowalski and Rico gave contented "aw"s over the scene that had unfolded between their best friends, and then they, too, joined in their hug. They were more than a team. They were a family, and they would stay together forever, no matter what hardships, dangers, or trials came their way. That was exactly why they were so good at protecting and saving lives, and exactly why Private was so important to them all. He was their heart, and without their heart, a family, an unit, and even an individual could not exist for that heart was the one thing in all of existence that made them whole.

**The End**


End file.
